How do I get rid of laptops and mobile phones?

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Reader Carolyn Chow Yuet Lin wrote to askST for advice on e-waste disposal: "Where can I dispose of used PC/laptop/mobile phones and other types of used batteries?

"I also have a lot of CDs from public listed companies and would also like to dispose them. Please advise. Thank you."

Tech Correspondent Vincent Chang answers.

Singaporeans churn out 60 million kg of electronic waste (e-waste) every year, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA). But only a fraction of e-waste is disposed properly or recycled. The amount of e-waste is also increasing because of the relatively short lifespan of electronic gadgets.

Items that can be recycled include CDs/DVDs, mobile phones, keyboards, laptops and lithium-ion batteries.

To address this, NEA is considering a regulated national system to collect, recycle and manage e-waste. But this is unlikely to be implemented soon.

Those who would like to recycle their e-waste can turn to a number of e-waste recycling programmes organised by companies such as StarHub and Singtel.

StarHub's RENEW (REcycling Nation's Electronic Waste) has 235 e-waste recycling bins at 185 locations around the island. You can check out their locations at its website.

Singtel also has a similar e-waste recycling programme. Its recycling bins are located at Singtel shops at ComCentre, Tampines Mall, West Mall and Jurong Point.